Display package with integral header and method of producing the same

ABSTRACT

A display package for merchandise is provided which encapsulates the merchandise in a shrink-wrap film and which has an integral header to enable easy hanging of the package on a rod or the like. Preferably, the package has a shrink-wrap polyethylene film and a cardboard support for the merchandise, with a portion of the film laminated to the board to form a header or border. The header may then be punched so that an aperture is formed for hanging of the package.

nite States Patent Weinstein 1 Sept. 1 l, 1973 [54] DISPLAY PACKAGE WI'III INTEGRAL 3,338,393 8/l967 Abel 206/45.33 HEADER AND METHOD OF PRODUCING 3,298,506 1/1967 Reiner et al. 206/45.33 THE SAME 2,668,403 2/1954 Rumsey, Jr. 206M533 2,788,121 4/1957 Ayres 206/DIG. 8 [75] Inventor: Raymond P. Weinstein, Carnegie, 2,876,899 3/1959 Maynard, .lr 206/80 A [73] Assignee: A. J. Weinstein Company, Carnegie, Primary 'f f Dixson,

p Attorney-William G. Kratz, Jr

[22] Filed: Nov. 19, 1971 Appl. No.: 200,447

US. Cl. 206/80 R, 206/45.33, 53/30 Int. Cl. B65d 73/00, 365d 65/16 Field of Search 206/80 A, 80 R, 78 R, 206/78 B, 45.33, DIG. 8; 229/62, 55, DIG. 12; 53/30 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1963 Nichols 2.29/55 [57] ABSTRACT A display package for merchandise is provided which encapsulates the merchandise in a shrink-wrap film and which has an integral header to enable easy hanging of the package on a rod or the like. Preferably, the package has a shrink-wrap polyethylene film and a card board support for the merchandise, with a portion of the film laminated to the boardto form a header or border. The header may then be punched so that an aperture is formed for hanging of the package.

11 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Patented Sept. 11, 1973 3,757,937

FIG. 3.

m'zzo e/i vvwzz ma 7 FIG. 5.

DISPLAY PACKAGE WITH INTEGRAL HEADER AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Numerous plastic film packages are available for the marketing of merchandise. The use of such films are beneficial in that the plastic protects the merchandise from moisture and soiling while the plastic enables the purchaser to view what he is buying. Basically, three general plastic wraps are available, which are the skintype packaging, the poly-bag package and the shrinkwrap package. The skin-type package is normally the most expensive and is difficult to adapt for high-speed automated packaging. Also there is merchandise that does not lend itself to such packaging, where labeling and artwork must be worked around the product itself, and where a problem of sticking of molten film to a product that substantially covers a stiffening board is present, which sticking could ruin the topmost items of a stack of items within the package. The poly-bag package is usually adaptable to any type of merchandise, but

unless small tolerances are carefully met, which creates added expense, a sloppy package will result. In addition, with poly-bags the printing of clear andconcise photographic representations is limited due to the difficulty of printing on such bags at reasonable cost.

The shrink-wrap type of package, to which the presentinvention is directed, generally uses a backing, such as a sheet of cardboard on which merchandise is placed and the cardboard and merchandise are then enveloped within a plastic film and the film heat-sealed. On passage through a heat tunnel or oven, the film shrinks to an extent which causes the'film to urge the merchandise against the cardboard backing and form a more secure packaging of the merchandise. When such shrinkwrapped packages are to be displayed by hanging the package on a hook, rod or nail in a retail store, it is necessary either to affix a grommet to the package, by which the package may be hung, orto punch a hole in the cardboard backing and through the film v at two places so as to enable a rod to fit through the package. If grommets are used, additional expense in materials and in labor are added to the packaging cost. If a punched cardboard backing is used and if the package is forced onto a hook, with the hook punching a hole through the film, tearing or splitting of the film often results in an unsightly package and in the exposure of the contents of the package to the elements, defeating a prime purpose of film packaging and at times rendering the package unsalable. In punching such a hole through the film it is also necessary that the rack jobber or store service personnel use both hands to hang a single merchandise package on a display pin with the resultant loss of time.

The present invention relates to' an improved method of forming shrink-wrap packages, and to the packages so produced, where an integral header is formed on the package to permit easy hanging of packages at display sites and to alleviate the problems above described relative to such packages.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Display packages of merchandise wherein the package has an integral header to permit easy hanging of the package, are produced by disposing the merchandise on a support member such as a cardboard backing which is capable of forming a laminate with a plastic film, encasing the merchandise and backing within a plastic film and laminating a section of the backing and film together to form an integral header for the package. The header is located adjacent one edge of the backing and may be a wide laminated section or a band of laminated section across the backing. The backing, if cardboard, is made compatible with the film either by coating the cardboard, or impregnating the same, with a material such as a plastic capable of forming a laminate with the plastic film. The package is then subjected to a shrink-wrap operation either before the lamination is effected, or it may be shrunk following the lamination. The integral header may be punched to form a hanging hole, and no problem of tearing of the film is present during hanging because of the integral header formed by the lamination step.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 5' is a cross sectional view taken along the lines V--V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines VI-VI of FIG. 4-, and

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of apparatus suitable for carrying out the process of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawing, wherein like parts are numbered alike throughout, the preferred embodiment of the display package is illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. As shown, the package 1 has a support backing sheet 2, with the merchandise 3 disposed thereon, and a plastic film overwrap 4. The backing sheet is preferably of a cardboard or other fibrous material in sheet form and is adapted so that it will form a laminate with the plastic film. To so adapt the backing sheet, the sheet may be either coated with a material such as plastic which is capable of forming a laminate with the plastic film, or the sheet maybe impregnated with such a material. The coating or impregnation may cover the entire surface of the sheet on either one or both surfaces, or the coating or impregnation may be present only along a longitudinal portion of the sheet where lamination is to be effected. Such coated or impregnated sheets are available on the market and are well known. For example, cardboard sheets with very thin coatings of a polyethylene are available and usable as the backing sheet in the present display package, as are polyethylenepolypropylene copolymer and polyvinyl coated backing sheets. The plastic film that is used as the overwrap is also commercially available and the preferred film is of polyethylene.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the display package has a section of the backing exposed and a laminated portion 5 is formed where the backing 2 and film 4 are laminated together by heat and pressure. This section 5 forms an integral header for the package and may have an aperture 6 therethrough for hanging of the package on a pin or peg. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3, the laminated portion extends a predetermined distance from a point 7 to the edge 8 of the backing 2. In this embodiment, the film 4 is laminated to the backing 2 on both the upper side of the backing at as well as to the underside of the backing at 9 (FIG. 2). This embodiment providesan integral header for the package with the film laminated to the backing and the package is readily hung for display. A merchant need only grasp the package and place it on a rack, with a peg extending through the aperture 6 with no fear of tearing or splitting the film 4. At the point 7, the laminated section extends across the passage so as to form a seal between the portion of film 4 that encases the merchandise 3 and the header 5.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 4-6, the laminated section is not a continuous section extending from the edge of a backing sheet. As shown, the display package 10 has a backing sheet 11 which supports the merchandise 12, the sheet being capable of forming a laminate with a plastic film 13. Extending across the package is a laminated strip 14 which is formed by laminating the film 13 to the compatible backing sheet 11. The section 15 of the filmor header which is intermediate the laminated strip 14 and an edge of the package maybe unlaminated, but, because of the strip 14 will be closely adhered to the backing strip. A hanging hole 16 of any desired shape may be punched or otherwise formed in the header portion 15 so as to enable the package to be hung on a peg or rod. Because of the close adherence of the film, tearing of the film is not likely to occur on said punching, and the strip 14 protects and seals the header portion from the portion of the film encasing the merchandise 12.

In the process of forming the display package, the merchandise is disposed on a backing sheet, the sheet capable of being laminated to the plastic filmused'as the overwrap. The merchandise is so disposed that a section of the backing sheet is exposed for contact with the film. The film is then sealed and the merchandise and backing sheet encased in the film by heat-sealing of the film. With the backing sheet and merchandise encased in the film, the package is passed to a work station where a desired section of the film is laminated to the backing sheet to form a laminate and produce the integral header of the package. Finally, the header may have a hole punched therein and the display package is passed to an oven or other heating device to shrink the film and form a tight and secure display package having an integral header. The shrink-wrapping step, that is, passage through an oven to shrink the film may, if desired, be effected prior to the lamination step to form the header, but it has been found that the desirable procedure is to form the header and subsequently shrink the film.

In FIG. 7, a schematic illustration of an apparatus and the process are given. The backing sheet 2 is shown with the merchandise 3 thereon and an overwrap of film 4 made to encase the two. The combination is supported by a conveyor 17 which carries it to the work station 18. The work station comprises an energizing and timing means 19 which has a heated roller 20 and a punch 21 and is supplied with energy to heat and operate these mechanisms from a source (not shown). The combination a is passed beneath the roller 20 which is heated and which is so spaced, relative to the conveyor, that heat and pressure are exerted on the film and backing sheet as they pass. As the combination continues its passage through the work station, as shown at b, the package has a laminated section 5 formed as an integral header. This package is then passed through a punch which is so timed and actuated as to punch a hole through the header. The display package 0 shows the header 5 with the hanging hole 6 therethrough. As above described, the package is then passed to a shrink oven or tunnel (not shown) where heat is applied to shrink the film 4 and form a taut package, or such shrinkage could have been effected in a tunnel preceeding the work-station 19. Other such work-stations could be used, for example, the packages could be passed by a conveyor in a direction transverse to the header portion and timed and spaced heated rollers and punches passed in a parallel plane and be arranged to laminate the desired section of film and backing sheet and punch a desired orifice.

There has been described a novel display package, and a method for forming the package, which has an integral header. The integral header enables forming of a hang-hole through the header without tearing of film used to encase a backing sheet and the supportedmerchandise and easy and quick handling of the display package by the jobber or retailer.

1 claim:

1. Method of forming a display package of merchandise, said package having an integral header comprising: y

a. disposing merchandise upon a cardboard backing sheet, said sheet being capable of forming a laminate with a plastic film, said merchandise being so disposed as to leave a predetermined section of said sheet exposed;

b. encasing said backing sheet and said merchandise within a plastic film, said film being capable of forming a laminate with said backing sheet, by heat-sealing said film;

c. laminating a portion of said film to said backing sheet along said section to form. an integral header for said display package; and

d. subjecting said plastic film to heat to shrink the same following said laminating.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein said plastic film is subjected to heat to shrink the same following said encasing and prior to said laminating.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein said backing sheet is of a fibrous material having a coating thereon, which coating is capable of forming a laminate with said plastic film.

4. A method as defined in claim 3 wherein said fibrous material is cardboard.

5. A method as defined in claim 3 wherein said coating substantially covers the entire surface of said backing sheet.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein an aperture is formed in said integral header for hanging of said display packages.

7. A display package of merchandise, said package having a support member and an integral header with a film overwrap, the support member comprising a backing sheet, a portion of which is laminated to the film overwrap at a position adjacent one edge of said sheet so as to form a header, with said merchandise encased within said film overwrap and said film heatmember spaced from said edge.

10. A display package of-merchandise as defined in claim 7 wherein said header has an aperture therethrough by which said package may be hung for'display.

11. A display package of merchandise as defined in claim 7 wherein said support sheet is of cardboard material having a coating thereon capable of forming a laminate with said film.

- IO! l 

1. Method of forming a display package of merchandise, said package having an integral header comprising: a. disposing merchandise upon a cardboard backing sheet, said sheet being capable of forming a laminate with a plastic film, said merchandise being so disposed as to leave a predetermined section of said sheet exposed; b. encasing said backing sheet and said merchandise within a plastic film, said film being capable of forming a laminate with said backing sheet, by heat-sealing said film; c. laminating a portion of said film to said backing sheet along said section to form an integral header for said display package; and d. subjecting said plastic film to heat to shrink the same following said laminating.
 2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein said plastic film is subjected to heat to shrink the same following said encasing and prior to said laminating.
 3. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein said backing sheet is of a fibrous material having a coating thereon, which coating is capable of forming a laminate with said plastic film.
 4. A method as defined in claim 3 wherein said fibrous material is cardboard.
 5. A method as defined in claim 3 wherein said coating substantially covers the entire surface of said backing sheet.
 6. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein an aperture is formed in said integral header for hanging of said display packages.
 7. A display package of merchandise, said package having a support member and an integral header with a film overwrap, the support member comprising a backing sheet, a portion of which is laminated to the film overwrap at a position adjacent one edge of said sheet so as to form a header, with said merchandise encased within said film overwrap and said film heat-shrunk to secure said merchandise to said support member.
 8. A display package of merchandise as defined in claim 7 wherein said integral header comprises a laminated section extending from an edge of said support member a predetermined distance along said support member.
 9. A display package of merchandise as defined in claim 7 wherein said integral header comprises a section extending between an edge of said support member and a laminated section of said film and support member spaced from said edge.
 10. A display package of merchandise as defined in claim 7 wherein said header has an aperture therethrough by which said package may be hung for display.
 11. A display package of merchandise as defined in claim 7 wherein said support sheet is of cardboard material having a coating thereon capable of forming a laminate with said film. 